X Mangave plant named ‘Center of Attention’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique x  Mangave  plant named ‘Center of Attention’ characterized by a short, rounded mound of fleshy, linear to lanceolate leaves that are flat and mostly straight with light greyed green to greyed-purple and a central band of burgundy-red, margins develop glaucous, dark greyed-purple spotting with intense light. The leaves have numerous medium-sized, firm but flexible marginal teeth distally pointing outwardly and pointing backward in proximal region. Flowers are yellowish and clustered in terminal branches of erect scapes. The new plant is suitable for the garden or as a potted plant in the garden or home.

Botanical classification: x Mangave hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Center of Attention’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosures of the claimed plant, in the form ofprivate sales, were made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Oct. 22, 2019 toPlant Delights Nursery, Inc. followed by a sale to San Marcos Growers onNov. 11, 2019. Plants for these sales were obtained from the inventor.Subsequently, on Mar. 3, 2020, Walters Gardens, Inc. posted on theirwebsite a non-enabling photograph with brief description. Informationfor this website was obtained from the inventor. No plants of x Mangave‘Center of Attention’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in theworld nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made more than oneyear prior the filing date of this application, and such sale ordisclosure within one year was obtained either derived directly orindirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct x Mangave hybridplant, x Mangave ‘Center of Attention’ that was hybridized by theinventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as across between a proprietary selection of Agave nizandensis (notpatented) as the female or seed parent times and an unreleasedproprietary hybrid known as 12-3-31 (not patented) as the male or pollenparent. The cross was performed Jun. 27, 2015 and seeds were harvestedand sown in the autumn of 2015. Through trials at the same nursery theplant was assigned the breeder code 15-194-6. The new plant has beensuccessfully asexually propagated by sterile shoot-tip tissue cultureand by basal offsets at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The asexualtissue culture propagation has been found to produce stable andidentical plants that maintain all the unique characteristics of theoriginal plant in successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Center of Attention’ differs from its parents as well as all otherManfreda, Agave and x Mangave known to the applicant. The female parenthas fewer leaves per plant, narrower leaves with medium-green on themargins and lighter green in the center and lacks the dark greyed-purplespotting and the glaucous surfaces. The male parent has more wavy, widerleaves with larger teeth and the habit is more upright with more leavesper plant. The nearest comparison plants are: ‘Blazing Saddles’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 31,274, ‘Desert Dragon’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,311,‘Painted Desert’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,630 and ‘Racing Stripes’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 31,251. ‘Blazing Saddles’ has shorter and narrower leavesthat produce larger spots of less dense reddish to greyed reddish-purplespotting with more green background and lacks the lighter midrib, andthe foliage has less glaucous surface. ‘Desert Dragon’ has foliage thatis more folded and sinuate and the center midrib lacks the reddishpurple coloration. ‘Painted Desert’ has less arching and more uprighthabit with flatter and narrower leaves that have smaller teeth and thecenter midrib is more chartreuse. ‘Racing Stripes’ has narrower leavesthat are more green with lighter green midrib, firmer cinnamon-coloredteeth, and more spotting on the foliage.

‘Center of Attention’ is unique from all of the above cultivars and allAgave, x Mangave and Manfreda known to the inventor by the followingcombined traits:

-   -   1. Medium, linear to lanceolate, flat, mostly straight, sarcous        leaves;    -   2. Leaves develop large, dense, dark greyed-purple spotting on a        glaucous, light greyed- green to greyed-purple background, and a        central band of burgundy-red;    -   3. Leaf margins have many, medium-sized, flexible, mostly        outwardly-facing, marginal teeth;    -   4. Moderate growth rate;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photographs of x Mangave ‘Center of Attention’ demonstrate theoverall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as atwo-year-old plant grown in a greenhouse and moved to a full-sun trialgarden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonablypossible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant from the side angle.

FIG. 2 shows a view from above.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, x Mangave ‘Center ofAttention’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a commercial wholesalegreenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer asneeded.

-   Parentage: A proprietary unnamed selection of Agave nizandensis as    the female or seed patent, an unreleased proprietary hybrid known as    12-3-31 (Mangave ‘Bloodspot’ (not patented) x a proprietary    selection of Agave gypsophila (not patented)) as the male or pollen    parent;-   Propagation: By sterile shoot-tip tissue culture;-   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days;-   Growth rate: Moderate;-   Crop time: About 14 to 18 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter container    from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 21° C.;-   Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 30 cm    long;-   Root color: Nearest RHS 158B;-   Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal    rosettes of about 64 leaves radially emerging, stiff, mostly    straight from central stem, producing a radially-symmetrical,    rounded mound;-   Plant size: Foliage height about 30.0 cm tall from soil line to the    top of the leaves and about 76.0 cm wide at the widest point just    above soil level;-   Stem: To about 3.5 cm across; covered with foliage;-   Foliage description: Linear to lanceolate; simple; sessile;    bi-laterally symmetrical; sarcous; apex narrowly acute with terminal    mucro; base truncate; older lower leaves becoming flat; mostly    outwardly pointing teeth curving backward in proximal portion; both    adaxial and abaxial glabrous and heavily glaucous;-   Mucro (apical spine): About 8.0 mm long and 1.5 mm wide; flexible;-   Marginal teeth: Medium size, firm, but flexible even when mature;    protruding about 2.0 mm long from margin and 2.0 mm wide at base,    average spacing about 5.0 mm apart;-   Leaf size: To about 38.6 cm long, about 66.0 mm wide toward middle;    center base about 12.0 mm thick at basal midrib; average about 36.5    cm long, 57.0 mm wide and 12.0 mm thick in longitudinal center;    spotted to blushed with greyed-purple near stem on both adaxial and    abaxial;-   Foliage fragrance: None observed;-   Leaf number: About 64 per plant before flowering;-   Leaf blade color:    -   -   Adaxial (low light).—Young and mature leaves nearest RHS            137A along margins, and between RHS 146B and RHS 146C along            center midrib, with spots on margin and center nearest a            blend of N187B and RHS 186B.        -   Abaxial (low light).—Young and mature leaves margin and            center nearest RHS 144A, with occasional spots of nearest a            blend of N186B and RHS N186C and leaf base of nearest blend            between RHS N187B, RHS 187D and RHS 186D.        -   Adaxial (high light).—Young and mature leaf margins a blend            between N186A and RHS N187A with an occasional small spot            about 2.0 mm diameter of nearest RHS 137A, midrib distally            nearest RHS N77B; center nearest a blend between RHS N187C            and RHS N77B.        -   Abaxial (high light).—Young and mature leaf margins and            center a blend between N186A and RHS N187A with an            occasional small spot about 2.0 mm diameter of nearest RHS            137A, midrib distally nearest RHS N77B.        -   Teeth.—On young leaves adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 145A,            mature leaves adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS NN155C toward            apex and base nearest RHS N186A.        -   Mucro.—Nearest RHS N200B.-   Petiole: Leaves sessile;-   Veins: Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial;-   Peduncle: Terete; glaucous; glabrous; stiff; strong; lightly    branched; about 170 cm long and 28 mm diameter at base and 18.0 mm    diameter below first flowers; flowering portion about 87 cm tall and    about 45 cm across; branches to about 28 cm long and about 4 mm    diameter at base; attitude main peduncle erect and branches upward    and outwardly;-   Peduncle color: Basal portion before flowers nearest a blend between    RHS N186C and RHS 147A, flowering portion nearest a blend between    RHS 138A and RHS 147A;-   Pedicel: Terete; glaucous; glabrous; stiff; strong; average about    2.5 mm long and 2.2 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A;-   Cauline leaves: About 17 per scape; lanceolate; simple, fleshy,    glabrous; margins finely dentate with flexible teeth; apex narrowly    acute with flexible mucro; base truncate, sessile, clasping;    proximally about 14 cm long and about 18 mm wide at base, decreasing    distally; color adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS N77B;-   Buds one day prior to opening: Elongated globose; about 3.8 cm long    and about 11.0 mm across at mid-tepal, base about 4.0 mm diameter;-   Bud color: Nearest RHS 138A in basal portion and distally becoming    nearest RHS 162A;-   Flower description: Perfect, actinomorphic; about 6.5 cm long and    opening to about 30 mm across at outside of anthers; lasting about 3    to 4 days per flower; flowering period about three weeks in late    winter in Michigan greenhouse; producing abundant nectar; forming in    clusters near distal ends of branches; approximately 200 flowers per    scape; attitude mostly upright;-   Flower fragrance: Not detected;-   Tepals: Six in two sets of three; glaucous abaxial and slightly    lustrous adaxial; glabrous both adaxial and abaxial; acute apex and    fused base; outer set about 4.8 cm long, separated in the distal 16    mm, fused in basal 3.2 cm, about 6.0 mm wide at base; inner set    about 4.8 cm long, separated in distal 16 mm, fused in basal 3.2 cm,    and 7.0 mm wide at fusion; inner set creased along edge where    overlapped with outer set while in bud;-   Tepal color: Adaxial outer and inner tepal set base and distal    portion nearest RHS 138A; abaxial outer set base nearest RHS 138A    with distal non-fused portion nearest RHS 16A, abaxial inner set    base nearest RHS 138A, margin nearest RHS 16A and center nearest RHS    151B; inner and outer sets becoming nearest RHS 21A distally with    age adaxial and abaxial;-   Androecium: Six;    -   -   Filaments.—Six; terete distally, slightly applanate base;            stiff and straight; about 4.6 cm long and 1.0 mm diameter at            base; color nearest RHS 1C.        -   Anther.—Dorsifixed; longitudinal; about 1.6 cm long and 2.0            mm diameter before opening; after dehiscence remaining            straight; color nearest RHS 4C.        -   Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS 16A.-   Gynoecium: Single;    -   -   Style.—6.4 cm long and 2.0 mm diameter at base; color            nearest RHS 4B.        -   Stigma.—Turbinate, apex tri-lobed; about 2.5 mm tall and 3.5            mm across top; color side nearest RHS 4D; top stigmatic            surface in tri-pointed star with color nearest RHS 4D.        -   Ovary.—Inferior.-   Fruit and seed: Not yet observed;-   Disease resistance: x Mangave ‘Center of Attention’ has not been    observed to be resistant or susceptible to diseases beyond that    which is normal for x Mangave, Agave or Manfreda. The new plant is    xeromorphic and survives well with minimal water once established.    The new plant is estimated to be winter hardy at least to USDA    zone 9. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental x Mangaveplant named ‘Center of Attention’ as herein described and illustrated.